


Thundering Heart

by Howlingdawn



Category: NCIS
Genre: Episode: s18e05 Head of the Snake, F/M, First Kiss, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Romance, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-20
Updated: 2021-01-20
Packaged: 2021-03-18 16:13:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 601
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28869855
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Howlingdawn/pseuds/Howlingdawn
Summary: SPOILERS FOR 18X05The plane smoldered in front of him, so close and yet so far, a twisted heap of wreckage just intact enough to give him hope, more than destroyed enough to shatter his dreams.“Ellie!”
Relationships: Ellie Bishop/Nick Torres
Comments: 1
Kudos: 99





	Thundering Heart

**Author's Note:**

> *slams fic down* It's already been a heckin WEEK between Wandavision and Lone Star and 911 and Batwoman and now THIS happens and they hit me with THAT promo and I loved Gibbs & Ellie's hug but I mean the opportunity was Right There and this A/N is like a jumbled mess of feelings but basically I had to write something I HAD TO

Nick’s world shrank down to his thundering heart.

It hadn’t stopped racing since the gun went off. He should’ve known something was wrong the moment Ellie didn’t say anything; maybe part of him had, but he had brushed it off as his own lingering adrenaline, brushed off his sudden desire to get back to her as a result of nearly dying himself. Finding the empty van…

And now he saw only an ambulance and a burning plane.

_No._

He slammed on the brakes, jumping out of the car almost before throwing it into park. “Bishop?” he called, voice wavering, running up to the gurney Gibbs was escorting.

McGee lay on it, pale and bloody and out cold.

_No._

Turning away, unwilling, unable to process two losses at once, he headed for the plane. “Bishop!”

“Nick! Hey!”

Gibbs’s voice came only from the distance, nearly drowned out by his own heart.

“Bishop!” he yelled.

“Torres, stop!”

The plane smoldered in front of him, so close and yet so far, a twisted heap of wreckage just intact enough to give him hope, more than destroyed enough to shatter his dreams.

“Ellie!”

_She can’t be on that plane. She can’t be on that plane. She can’t be on that plane._

He started to run.

“Ellie!”

“It’s full of fuel!” Gibbs yelled, a shadow chasing after him.

But there was something soft in his voice.

Something coaxing.

Something broken.

_No._

“I have to get Ellie-” he protested.

“Stop!” Gibbs grabbed his arm, yanking him to a halt, his vicelike grip defying that dip in his voice.

A small explosion burst through the plane, followed seconds later by a massive one that sent flames billowing into the sky. Nick flinched back, his throat dry, heart hammering away, Gibbs’s hand still on his arm suddenly a chilling comfort.

All he could do was stare.

Stare at the flames burning his heart to ashes.

“Nick!”

Her voice burst through the roaring his ears. He whipped around, and there she stood, bleeding, limping, and the most beautiful sight he had ever seen.

He closed the distance between them before he could blink, pulling her into his arms, cradling her close, taking her weight as she threw her arms around him, sinking into his hug. “Are you all right?” he demanded, weak from relief. “Are you ok?”

She nodded, pulling back but not away, her hands sliding down to his arms, and he copied her, wishing he never had to let go, drinking in the sight of her, her voice music to his ears. “Yeah,” she panted. “Merriweather wasn’t on the plane.”

“Good,” he heard himself saying. “That’s, um… I’m glad you’re ok.”

He didn’t care about Merriweather. He couldn’t care about Merriweather. All that mattered was that Ellie was here, in front of him, in his arms, looking at him, leaning in, and he was leaning in too, fingers going to brush a stray blonde strand out of her eyes and staying there, sinking into her hair, cupping her head…

She pulled him against her, kissing him fiercely, and this wasn’t any of the ways he had imagined their first kiss going, but he was kissing her back, and she was _alive_ , and _she_ _was_ _kissing him_ , and in that moment, he couldn’t imagine anything better.

_She’s ok._

_She’s ok._

_She’s ok._

It was suddenly the most important sentence he had ever heard.

And when she broke it off, burying her face in his shoulder, clinging to his jacket, all he could do was hold her.

All he _wanted_ to do was hold her.

And the world was quiet.


End file.
